A delicate flower
by One Winged Kharl Sama
Summary: RunexKharl pairing...Runes upset with the Dragons because of the death of Tintlet, and is distancing himself from them. Kharl watches this, and decides to take matters into his own hands. First story.


**Authors note**: Co-written by cruel reality Many of the characters are OCC in this chapter but that's because of the circumstances.

FIRST ATTEMPT AT STORY!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kharl! NOOO! I don't own him, or rune T.T, or Dragon Knights. They belong to Mineko Ohkami

**Summary**:

Rune/Kharl fic...maybe rune/kharl/rath in the near future...

um what happens when rune is fed up with the dragon kingdoms false lies and hopes? an unlikely source comes to comfort him... blah blah blah

oh yeah! The chapter title... er... something to do with flowers... uh how about just flower? OO or Flowers... or I don't know! SOMETHING SPIFFY!

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An unsettling wind swept across the garden, a lone sense of foreboding seemed to follow in its wake. It was merely mid-day but it was very hard to tell so because of the dark clouds looming above. However, they didn't seem to promise rain, it was as if they were merely there to create an unnerving darkness.

The dragon castle in Draqueen still went about the day as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Dusis was still under the Dragon Lords control at least. Most of the dragon kingdom, however at the moment, was all in the dinning hall enjoying lunch, speaking happily like every other day.

Only a few very observant individuals noticed that the current water knight was not seated with them. Thatz, once being a thief, noticed. But not really thinking that Rune missing a meal was a horrible thing he just went along eating. Thatz decided that later, if Rune still had yet to show up, he would go and look for him. After all, nothing should get between Thatz and his food.

Cernozura was the other one whom noticed his absence, finishing the little food left on her plate. Rune had been missing quite often lately. Sometimes she would go off and look for him, but she never was able to find him however.

But unbeknownst to all Rune much rather preferred it that way.

It had been difficult for Rune to get peace and quiet around the castle lately. Everyone was running about the castle and none of them really were paying attention to the important things. It annoyed him. Even Rath's mischievous ways, which normally brought a smile to his face, frustrated him to a point where he couldn't stand it anymore. Now, simply the sound of Rath's voice brought him discomfort. Besides, he felt even more uneasy about Nadil and how his strength was increasing by the day...

And to make that worse, Rune seemed to be the only one that cared. Everyone else was fooling around, playing, and/or trying to ignore the situation. It was that simple mindedness that got Alfeegi killed in the past. None of them had been prepared, they were blind and ignorant, and this was not something that should be walked around.

All of that had driven him to go outside and sit the calmness of the garden, the window from the dining room shining upon him. Here he could get away from all of those…children. Here he was alone.

"Where's Mr. Rune?" Cernozura's voice broke Rune's meditation, and silence.

He sighed and quietly and stroked a flowers petal with his finger tips. Revolving under the silky feel, he twirled the edge of the petal against his cheek bringing the flower to his nose. He inhaled slowly trying to loose himself in the calming fragrance. He did so love flowers, beautiful in so many ways. You could crush one so easily, but another equally beautiful flower would bloom in its place.

Right now, he'd rather not be among all of the happy faces. It was hard for him to pretend that all was alright. Being an elf meant that feelings were a very important thing for him, his feelings were what led his life, emotion's ruled him. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, it must be at times. But when times were like this, they were quite the opposite. Pain was a familiar feeling to him, but that was physical. Mental pain, pain of the heart he was new to. Desperately he wanted to cry, curl up into a ball and sob his eyes out, but he was stuck under this façade of him being happy.

Nobody cared that Tintlet had passed away... or if they did, they treated it like nothing. Had they already forgotten Alfeegi? And Kai-stern? He clenched his hand in rage accidentally crushing the fragile plant that he was holding onto. He didn't care.

Tears poured freely down his face, as he fell back against a tree. He didn't even know how Tintlet had died, but he had felt her presence leave this world. He heard laughter emerge from the dining room.

Life was extremely important to the elves. Something that should be treasured. It was so easily taken away, and thus should be taken care of and remembered when lost. When one of their own died, friend or family, it was a great tragedy. All of the emotions in side of him felt a strong pull towards the sorrow he should feel at her death. But if he even tried to grieve properly he would be hounded by the members of the castles with their constant questions on what was bringing him down. But the other dragons obvious uncaring attitude towards all these deaths made him feel even worse.

None of them had grieved over their fallen knights, they just moved on to the next day. Rune hadn't known Alfeegi or Kai-stern as well as the others, but he still tried to grieve for them, unlike the others.

Looks like the others had forgotten him already too. If he died, would anyone care?

"That is really quite the dilemma."

Rune wiped his eyes quickly and looked around frantically. He was terribly paranoid and he felt something cold... very cold. Twisting his head around seeing nothing but the garden, the clouds seemed to darken by the second sending longer and larger shadows across the ground.

"Who's there!"

He was unethically shouting by now but there was no reply. He got up and dropped the once beautiful petals that he had crushed between his fingers. The broken silk floated with the wind until lading in a crumpled heap upon the ground.

"WATE-" Rune almost finished calling out to his dragon, when a cold, smooth hand clamped over his mouth.

"How dare you destroy my flowers?" Runes eyes widened with fear. The voice... the first time he had heard it he knew it was familiar. It as the Demon Alchemist, Kharl. The one who had slaughtered so many fairies. Rune had sworn to get revenge, but he had never guessed that Kharl would be this strong. He was having trouble just getting free from his grasp.

"Now, I'm going to unclamp your mouth. You will tell me why you of all people destroyed a part of nature... especially when it belongs to me." The voice seemed calm but it had that air of dignity and coldness swimming in it. Kharl slowly removed his hand from his mouth. With the freedom of his mouth getting his questions answered seemed to be the next best step.

"You're a youkai... why are you able to even set foot here?"

Rune answered the question in his mind. Of course he can enter, he's a lot more powerful than any other demons... and Nadil is grower stronger. Understanding the uselessness of the question he wanted to smack himself. Another question then popped into his head.

"Wait- Forget that question, it was completely irrelevant. Do you work for Nadil?"

"My, my, so many questions you have. And do you simply ignore the fact that you have yet to answer mine?" Kharl seemed almost amused by Runes forwardness.

Rune looked upset. How could he tell an enemy how he had been feeling?

"To be honest, it was an accident." Rune knew that he sounded really stiff, but he was at the mercy of his enemy, he knew alone he could do very little. Answering the questions was the best thing he could do as he came up with a plan of action. Looking at Kharl he had almost a mocking look on his face as he plucked a flower of the ground and began stroking the petals.

"However, I saw you do it, doubtfully an accident. I do not think you will find it wise to lie to me, Dragon Knight of water..."

Rune was about to speak but then gasped when he felt Kharl's hands running through his hair.

"You must be a fairy. Your hair... soft as the petals of the flower, and it looks just as wonderful. I wonder how it would smell." The alchemist began to trail off, speaking very quietly. The Rune was having trouble figuring out whether the comments were meant to mock him.

He wasn't sure if it was hate, disgust, or fear he felt in the pit of his stomach. He wanted revenge, but knew he couldn't do it alone. He could hardly control Varawoo, and even then it was agreed to be only used as a last resort. Kharl felt Rune shaking with fear.

"You're a sad excuse for a knight you know. You frighten so easily… so tender and frail. Much like a flower."

Rune started to feel sick... he wanted to start crying. Was he going to die by this fairy slaughterer's hands? Rune wanted more than anything to be strong, but everything was beating down on him and no-one else it seemed. No matter how hard he tried to hold it back he began to cry.

Kharl did not look surprised; he merely began to untangle his hands from Runes hair, and instead began to pet him.

"It was an accident, okay? I was just... angry." Even though he was crying Rune was shaking in anger, he had just needed to cry so badly and he couldn't hold back any longer.

"It really is nothing to cry over." Kharl then kneeled down and held Rune tight against him and he just shook with more fear. Rune was going to tell him he wasn't crying over something as trivial as a plant, but somehow he thought Kharl had already known that. Shaking his head back and forth he tried to push away from the alchemist no longer wanting to be in his arms. He felt bad enough already, and being in this monster's arms was not helping matters at all. The harder he fought the tighter Kharl held him, soon after he just slumped down crying silent tears.

"Why are you here?" Rune said after he had calmed down a bit, but his voice was still strained. He was even getting used to being in some strangers arms; no one had held him like this for such a long time. Right now after all the crying he had done any comfort was good for him.

"My intention at the start was to pay Rath a private visit, but I was just starting to decide against it. You're so much more amusing than him."

Rune looked puzzled. Was all of this because his flower was destroyed? Why did Kharl even care about something so unimportant? And what did he mean by amusing….?

"Why….?"

"Why what? Why I visit Rath? Or why I was deciding against it? Rath refuses me no matter how many times I tell him he is really mine, which he is mind you. Heh, but why am I telling you this? You'll leak it all through that accursed kingdom that stole him from me… filled his mind with lies and false hope. Why should I, someone of great power, be lowered to some ordinary lovesick fool?" He paused and took a slow breath.

"Or maybe you were wondering why I decided to stay and speak to you instead of visiting my little Rath." He didn't continue on that thought.

Rune ignored the last thing that he said, and instead thought about what he had said about the kingdom. Was the dragon kingdom really nothing but lies and false hopes? Obviously. Life meant so little to the likes of them. Everyone seemed to live in a fantasy world where nothing bad could ever really happen. In fact, when people died it seems like they had never existed at all the way they're so easily forgotten. Tintlet didn't deserve to be forgotten. He for one would remember her, even if the others were so easy to forget.

"But you are different from them…" Kharl had interrupted his thoughts and went on speaking. "You seem to be rather distant from them lately. I've watched you sit out here alone before. I hope you don't mind, but I enjoy watching you knights. You're all like lab rats for my little experiments. It looks like you're realizing the truth about the dragon kingdom don't you?" Stopping once again to pick up the petting of the hair.

"Rath and you are more alike then you would like to think." He didn't go on about that instead began speaking on a different topic. "He would never let me hold him like this; he would never let anyone hold him like this. So out of touch with his feelings. It can't be healthy. But you… at least the truth is not too far out of sight for your eyes."

Rune smiled to himself. The stranger, the alchemist seemed to care, and know more about him more than any other?

'WAIT A SECOND!' Rune screamed at himself in his mind. This is the guy that slaughtered YOUR kingdom! He is the enemy to the fairies, to the knights, and well- to a whole lot of other people.

Rune struggled to get free once again and unlike before actually did so.

"Don't try and fool me! You're the one that slaughtered all of those fairies... my friends...my KINGDOM! I bet you're responsible for Tintlets death too."

Kharl was quite amused, he stood up once again, crossing his arms lightly, and looking down at the fragile knight of water. Rage looked good on an innocent person such as Rune, it was rather becoming.

"Relax, little one, I didn't kill your precious 'fairy princess'. I have no need for fairies anymore. Blame your friend Rath for killing my bird." Rune was confused.

"But YOU attacked us!"

Kharl laughed to himself, and then did so aloud.

"You foolish, foolish creature! It's Rath- it's all been his fault. Ever since they Dragon Kingdom took him under their wing, everything has gone wrong. I merely told Rath the truth and he became enraged." Though the words that were said were angry, Kharl could pull them off in a calm, superior way, which somehow soothed Rune.

Rune looked shocked, and then slowly came to the realization that Kharl was right.

"B-but why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll tell them? Aren't you afraid that all of this will get out to them?" Rune felt the youkai's hand pull away from his hair and come to rest on his shoulder.

"I fear nothing, especially not your little band of childish knights. Once this accursed dragon kingdom is out of the way, I will destroy Nadil and own this land for myself."

Rune gasped in surprise. So that was his plan all along. Was Kharl so strong that he could even take Nadil down! Did Kharl really trust him enough to tell him this and know that it will not be known among the dragon tribe? Why would he tell him anyways- he was one of those 'foolish knights' he was an enemy!

"Rune! Where are you? Is someone with you?"

Rune looked startled as he turned 'round quickly and saw Thatz running towards him. He turned back to where Kharl stood, but he was already gone.

"What are you doing out here? Don't you know you missed lunch?" Thatz seemed his normal cheerful self.

"Did you really care?" Rune's voice was cold and bitter.

Thatz looked quizzical and then laughed. Of course he hadn't noticed Rune's mood.

"Rune, you're so serious. Lighten up a little! Let's go inside now, it's starting to rain"

Rune solemnly followed Thatz, but not before looking back at the garden one last time. The place where he had dropped the crumpled flower, a new one had grown and bloomed. When one flower falls another will grow it its place. Though it should not have happened that quickly. Rune shook his head and returned to the castle he now knew as a prison.

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Garfakcy stopped cleaning the bookshelf and stared at his grinning master, whom had just arrived.

"I've done it. Hurry up and finish cleaning, we will soon have a new addition to the family."

"Who would that be?" Garfakcy mumbled while mopping the floor. "You don't mean RATH do you?" Garfakcy knew of his master's constant attempts at getting his hands on the fire knight.

"No, no, no, my friend, he will come on his own in his own good time. The one I will be bringing before him is a secret." He seemed just giddy, he didn't often sound like that.

Garfakcy glanced at his master. Kharl winked back at him, and Garfakcy groaned and kept on working.

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**Author's Note- **Anyways this is my FIRST attempt at a story, (not true for my co-writer, but we ALL know that I do all the work WAHAHAHAHA…..)

So please read and review…'cause it makes me smile a lot.


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